The Executive’s programme for government contains “woolly sentiments but no cast-iron promises” on policing, according to the head of the Police Federation.

The long-awaited document, agreed between the four governing parties, pledges to “develop a robust business case that will seek to stabilise, and begin to grow, police officer numbers”.

It also says the Executive aims to “achieve a sufficient number of police officers in line with New Decade New Approach commitments”.

But the Police Federation for Northern Ireland (PFNI) says officers will feel abandoned by the document – saying there is a failure to make “cast-iron promises on police numbers and general funding”.

The PSNI currently has around 6,300 officers, far below target. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA Wire

placeholder image — The PSNI currently has around 6,300 officers, far below target. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA Wire

The body, which represents rank and file officers, says the PfG “makes a mere vague reference to policing but studiously avoids signing up to firm commitments”.

PFNI Chair Liam Kelly said: “This Programme for Government is devoid of the things policing so desperately requires.

“It is beyond disappointing that there is no promise on funding to reverse ten years of decline. There is nothing on the Recovery Plan to push officer numbers up to 7,000 by 2028 or reach the figure of 7,500 as envisaged under Patten. And there’s no acknowledgement by our political leadership that services will continue to be cut back.

“This is dismaying. It is a standstill agenda. All we have here an intention to ‘develop a robust business case that will seek to stabilise, and begin to grow, police officer numbers.’ There is nothing to say what that actually means or a fixed timeline.

Police Federation chair Liam Kelly says it is beyond disappointing that there is no promise on funding to "reverse ten years of decline".

“Without hard and fast commitments, all this PfG does is treat policing as low hanging fruit. Ministers clearly believe that doing nothing to deal with the crisis in policing will not incur the wrath of the wider community.

“It shows indifference to the officers I represent who will have every justification for feeling abandoned and the wider community feeling ignored.

“There are woolly sentiments but no cast-iron promises.

“This PfG is supposed to set out priorities but all it actually does is leave policing at the back of the queue to struggle on with a Service that is on its knees.”